BLACK HILLS, S.D. -- A hulking all-American woolly bearded bison grazes mere feet from the roadway, nibbling placidly on the grasses of Custer State Park. The burning temptation to pop out of the car for a quick photo is tempered by the beasts' tonnage and history: Despite their bulk weighing up to 2,000 pounds, bison have been known to spin and gore in the blink of a camera shutter. Rolling down a window is the wisest course.

And there's plenty less threatening to photograph in this southwest corner of South Dakota. Pronghorn antelope. Eleven thousand-year-old mammoth skeletons displayed in situ. The graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Larger-than-life human sculptures at Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument.

And perhaps, most impressive, the forbidding, jagged wall of shale upon ash of the Badlands -- nature's boundary between north and south.

Add in wonderfully kitschy Wall Drug, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and the possibility of a Native American powwow, and you've got a family-friendly vacation where your kids can taste authentic American experiences, sans roller coasters.

Bonus: You can set up base in Custer National Park or Keystone and take day trips to area attractions. Most lodgings are chains low on glamour but fine for a family looking for a place to rest after a day of touring.

Here's a rundown on some of the area's family-friendly attractions:

MOUNT RUSHMORE

An American icon, Mount Rushmore is the best-known of the Black Hills attractions, drawing more than three million visitors per year. Its presidential faces stand 62 feet tall in their granite mountain -- the brainchild of a local historian in 1924, who thought a larger-than-life tribute to heroes would bring tourists.

If your kids are old enough, join a ranger tour and find out why sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose the four American presidents immortalized here. (Can't remember? They are Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt.)

Notes: The relatively new visitor center includes a casual eatery with healthy and kid-friendly food choices at decent prices. Facilities are wheelchair accessible. Special celebrations are usually held on July 3; if you're visiting then, book your hotel early.

Info: www.nps.gov/moru; 605-574-3171.

CUSTER STATE PARK

For out-of-staters, Custer may bethe area's least-known attraction -- but it's one of the best. Its 71,000 square acres make it the second largest state park in the U.S.; locals will tell you the only reason it isn't a national park is that the state claimed it first.

Wildlife viewing is the highlight. While you will likely drive through a herd of bison -- more than 1,000 live here -- or past pronghorn antelope on your visit, it's well worth the money to sign up for an off-road Jeep wildlife safari. Guides like Bud Pearthree, who has worked here for a decade, fill you in on just about everything you could want to know about bison and other park wildlife. And though they can't guarantee wildlife sightings, they do know just where to look.

Other family-friendly options include performances at the Black Hills theater, fishing, kayaking, gold-panning demos, geocaching, horse riding, ranger programs, horse riding, fly-fishing and mountain biking. Be sure to leave plenty of time for just driving around; the wind-carved needles in the park's northern section are simply spectacular.

Notes: Campsites and lodges are available within the park. One of the most popular is the historic State Game Resort, used by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 as his "summer White House." The dining room cuisine is among the best in the area.

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